Planning Commission nixes LA Fitness project permit

The LA Fitness project proposed for The Shops at Rossmoor was voted down Monday night by the Seal Beach Planning Commission in a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Mike Thomas and Maryanne Klinger voted in favor, by voting to approve the project’s Conditional Use Permit.

This week’s vote was a bit anticlimactic because there was no public hearing, therefore no public comment.

When the health club proposal came before the commissioners June 19, there were hours of public testimony in a standing-room-only council chambers, and outside chairs were filled with the overflow crowd, which viewed the meeting on a television.

LA Fitness has 10 business days to appeal the Planning Commission decision, probably until about July 31.

If they do appeal, the City Council will be asked to approve the project, possibly as early as August.

The proposed 37,000 square foot health club would sit behind Sprouts market in the shopping center, near Rossmoor homes and condos and Seal Beach condos. People opposed to the project have mentioned already-heavy traffic in the area, the gym’s proposed operating hours, and children playing and riding bicycles nearby.

Although the Planning Commission voted the LA Fitness project down June 19, the vote had to be continued to due to a clerical issue with the ordinance.